Grandmother Spider

Very happy with this new-to-me series, accurately described by a Denver Post review that calls it "a hybrid of Tony Hillerman and Carl Hiaasen". Set on and around Colorado's Southern Ute Reservation, this entry (4th in the series) features Charlie Moon, the 7-foot-tall "acting chief" of the tribal police force, fellow lawman Scott Parris, and Moon's irrepressible grandma, Daisy, a practicing shaman. The writing is rich and often carries an undertone of wry humor even though the mystery at the center of Grandmother Spider is grisly.

The Ute culture does not hold a prominent role here, except for their Spider Woman myth which quickly gets attached to the unexplained blob of light that swept through the April night, leaving mayhem in its show more wake. Dodd spends more time creating the physical landscape and on the oddities of his characters, doing both with skill.

I'll admit I got off in the weeds on this one, and the solution was not even on my radar. If one has to complain about Doss's style, it's that he keeps too much information from the reader. There are two itsy-bitsy (you should excuse the spider reference) clues, far separated from one another, in the early set-up, but they are swimming in a sea of red herrings that keep the reader not just distracted but completely out of the loop.

The book wraps up with the mystery solved (of course) and a huge change in Moon's life, so it will be interesting to see where Doss goes with it. I'll be looking for other books in this series, which ended in 2012 with the author's death. show less

Enjoyable series. I think the whole series averages out to a four star review. Less serious than Tony Hillerman, more so than Carl Hiaasen. The locale, as with most of these Southwestern mystery novels, is a real part of the draw! If Daisy Perika's old homestead were real and being offered to me, I would be packing my bags instead of pecking away at this computer.

The characters are likeable, the stories interesting (especially the first ten or so) if occasionally a liitle over the top. Mr. Doss includes just a touch of the supernatural, that I usually find attractive. All in all I find the stories wonderfully escapist.. all that I look for in fiction. While not necessary, I would recommend reading the stories in order if possible.

A wild romp through the reservation which ends by having Charley explain all. Then he does a small good deed and is very nicely rewarded.

giant spider, UFO or hot air balloon